Sheriff Baca

Human skeletal remains were found in a neighborhood in Montebello, authorities said Tuesday night. The remains were found shortly after 4 p.m. in the 900 block of North Lincoln Avenue, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Sheriff's homicide detectives were responding to assist Montebello police. It was unclear how the remains were discovered and whether they were buried in a yard. ALSO: ...

Los Angeles County leaders demanded Tuesday that Sheriff Lee Baca investigate hiring practices in response to a Times' investigation that found his department hired officers even though they had histories of misconduct. The move, approved unanimously by the county Board of Supervisors, requests Baca to report in two weeks on "whether exceptions were made to the hiring standards despite a commitment to conduct a full background on each applicant, [and] if so, who made those decisions and how will they be held accountable," according to a motion written by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

Autopsies on “Fast and Furious” star Paul Walker and his friend Roger Rodas, who were killed in a fiery crash Saturday, have been completed but final results are not yet available, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. Examinations have been completed, but the final identification of the bodies will not begin until Tuesday evening, said Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County coroner's office. It is not yet clear who was driving the 2005 Porsche Carrera GT. "No results will be released until at the earliest, tomorrow," he said in an email.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials who have backed a rival of Sheriff Lee Baca in next year's election claim they are being retaliated against with reassignments to distant locales or less desirable duties, according to interviews and documents. One, Capt. Louis Duran, has filed a complaint against Baca with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing, a precursor to a possible lawsuit. Of the nine captains who have publicly backed former Undersheriff Paul Tanaka in his bid to replace Baca, four were transferred to other jobs earlier this month, according to documents obtained by the Times.

A federal jury has found Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca personally liable in a case involving abuse of an inmate in the Men's Central Jail, meaning the sheriff could be required to pay $100,000 out of pocket. It is the first time a jury has held Baca personally at fault in a deputy use-of-force case. Sheriff's officials called the verdict a "huge mistake" and said they would appeal. Plaintiff Tyler Willis filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in October 2010 against L.A. County and several deputies and sheriff's officials, alleging that deputies severely beat him in 2009 while he was a 23-year-old inmate awaiting trial on charges of lewd acts with a child.

A federal jury has found Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca personally liable in a case involving abuse of an inmate in the Men's Central Jail, meaning the sheriff could be required to pay $100,000 out of pocket. It is the first time a jury has held Baca personally at fault in a deputy use-of-force case. Sheriff's officials called the verdict a "huge mistake" and said they would appeal. Plaintiff Tyler Willis filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in October 2010, alleging that deputies severely beat him in 2009 while he was an inmate awaiting trial. Willis alleged that he was punched and kicked repeatedly, shot with a Taser multiple times and struck "numerous times" in the ankle with a heavy metal flashlight, causing fractures and head injuries.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca is being criticized for pitching a dietary supplement for a company that contributed to his campaign. Videos posted online showed Baca boosting health products from a company called YOR Health. That company donated $1,000 to Baca's political campaign, the sheriff's spokesman said. The connection was first reported by KCBS-TV Channel 2 and KABC-TV Channel 7 this week. Since those news reports, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said Baca has asked that the videos be taken down.

For nearly two years, the Department of Justice has been conducting a criminal probe into allegations of abuse and violence in the Los Angeles County jails. On Thursday, the Justice Department informed Sheriff Lee Baca and the county that it is opening a second investigation that will examine whether sheriff's deputies engaged in a pattern of excessive force, and whether the department failed to implement broad reforms that the sheriff agreed to in 2002 involving mentally ill inmates.

Compton city officials have announced efforts to combat a recent surge in gang-related homicides. This year, the city has had 22 slayings, all of which have been classified as gang-related by authorities, according to figures provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, which patrols Compton. Last year, there were 21 killings, 15 of which were classified as gang-related. Mayor Aja Brown said Compton, a city of about 100,000, is in the midst of a community emergency as violent crime has risen.

SACRAMENTO -- While Gov. Jerry Brown wrestles with a court order to reduce the state prison population, county sheriffs are quietly seeking more flexibility to reduce the number of felons in their county jails. A bill requested by Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was approved this week by the state Senate. It would allow county jail inmates to earn sentence-reducing credits if they complete classes to improve their employability, literacy or social skills. Assemblywoman Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles)